H. Irving Hancock
Encyclopedia
Harrie Irving Hancock was an American chemist and writer, mainly remembered as an author of children's literature
and juveniles
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and as having written a fictional depiction of a German invasion of the USA.
on January 16, 1868. His parents were William Henry and Laura (Oakes) Hancock. Hancock married Nellie Stein on December 21, 1887. They had two daughters, apparently adopted: Vivian Morris Hancock and Doris Hancock.
A prolific author who liked to work at night, Hancock wrote for the New York Journal, the New York World
, and Leslie's Weekly. Much of his writing was the kind of "Boy's books" initiated by the famous Stratemeyer Syndicate
, based on the assumption (which proved hugely successful) that "boys want the thrill of feeling 'grown-up'" and that they like books which give them that feeling to come in series where the same heroes appear again and again. However, the bulk of Hancock's works in that genre appear to have been handled by publishers other than Stratemeyer. (A comprehensive list of his publications does not yet exist, the list appearing on this page being far from complete).
For some time it was considered that, unlike other writers, he invariably used his own name, in the form "H. Irving Hancock". However, Edward T. LeBlanc and J. Randolph Cox, who researched the period's "dime novels", concluded that a series of books attributed to “Douglas Wells” were in fact written by Hancock.
The same researchers recount that Hancock ‘…had been a journalist for the Boston Globe from 1885 to 1890, served as a war correspondent in Cuba
and the Philippines
during the Spanish-American War
. He produced more than 50 serials for Norman Munro
’s juvenile
magazine "Golden Hours
" between 1889 and 1901.
His output included westerns, detective stories (set in New Orleans and in Asia
), and historical adventures. China
and Japan
were the setting of such stories as 'The Great Tan-To; or Dick Brent’s Adventures in Up-to-Date Japan'.” Hancock was, however, charged
with perpetuating racial stereotypes in his depiction of the Chinese
"Supervillain
" Li Shoon
in a sereies of stories published between 1915 and 1917".
Hancock's experience as a war correspdent provided inspiration for books about the Spanish-American War
. He also published books on Physical Fitness
and an "Encyclopedia of Knowledge and Manners", and served as the editor of a "History of West Point". In a magazine article he warned of the dangers of smoking
, at a time when such dangers were not widely known. He was also apparently a sports writer and an early Western expert on Jiu-Jitsu
.
Much of Hancock's writing had a patriotic character, his books and stories having a considerable proportion of military heroes placed in settings ranging from the American Revolutionary War
, through the Spanish-American War
and the First World War, and up to an imaginary German invaion of the USA (see following section).
In addition to his writing activity, Hancock organized the Ferguson-Hancock Laboratories together with Prof. George A.Ferguson in 1908.
Hancock died of liver ailments at his home, in Blue Point
, Suffolk County, New York
on March 12, 1922.
Despite the enormous amount of material published by Hancock, some of his biographical details are not completely clear. The 1920 United States Federal Census contains the following: "H. Hancock, Birth: abt 1868 - Massachusetts Residence: 1920 - Brookhaven, Suffolk, New York". This seems to refer to Harrie Irving Hancock, but it is not completely certain - hence the above question mark following the date of his birth.
According to Gene Horton of Blue Point
, Hancock is buried in an unmarked grave at the Blue Point Cemetery.
One Hancock book still in print is "The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu", co-authored with Katsukuma Higashi and originally published by G. P. Putnam & Sons in 1905 in New York (presently republished by Dover Publications
).
in 1920-21 - reflecting, and to some degree helping to intensify, the shift of American public opinion towards getting involved in The First World War. It was an American representative of the sub-genre known as invasion literature
which originated in Britain
and was frequent in the early Twentieth Century. This kind of books were credited - by some politicians at the time and by historians and researchers later - with intensifying bellicose public attitudes in various countries and contributing to escalation and war.
The series may have been influenced by William Le Queux
's The Great War in England in 1897
(1894) in which the French
launch a surprise invasion of England
and penetrate into the heart of London
but are finally defeated after much desperate and heroic fighting by the British protagonists. The book was highly popular in the early Twentieth Century, and Hancock is likely to have read it.
In Hancock's far more extensive version, constituting no less than four books, it is the Germans
who launch a surprise attack in 1920, capture Boston
despite heroic resistance by "Uncle Sam's boys", overrun all of New England
and New York
and reach as far as Pittsburgh - but are at last are gloriously crushed by fresh American forces. From the present-day point of view, it can be considered as "retroactive" alternate history.
Hancok's plot has a basic implausibility in that it assumes either an overwhelming German victory over the British
, giving them mastery of the seas, or a British "friendly neutrality" and a free hand to invade America. Further, it assumes the German Navy
to be capable of utterly defeating the US Navy, followed by ferrying no less than a million German troops across the Atlantic and keeping them supplied for years-long hard fighting. The experience of the first two years of the actual war, at the time of writing, already conclusively proved the Kaiserliche Marine
manifestly incapable of anything remotely of the kind. In actuality it was US soldiers who - a year after the story's publication - would pour across a British-dominated Atlantic to assault Germany in Europe.
However, alternate history writer and analyst Dale Cozort
notes that "(...)The broad outline of the war [depicted] is so much like what actually happened between Germany and Russia
25 or so years later, in World War II
, that it's almost uncanny. The Germans win battle after battle but the opposition moves industry out of their reach, builds up overwhelming superiority in manpower and strategic mobility, then cuts off the cream of the German army. Sounds a lot like Eastern Front
World War II up through Stalingrad". Cozort also notes that Hancock's is one of the first fictional depictions of war to make reference to tanks.
Hancock appears to have been among the first American writers to graphically describe their country being devastatingly invaded by powerful enemies - reflecting the disruption of the hitherto dominant American isolationist mindset. In later decades he was followed by a host of others depicting the US being fictionally invaded by Nazi Germany
, Imperial Japan, the Soviet Union
and China
, as well as a considerable array of extraterrestrial aliens
(see Invasion literature
, Yellow Peril
, Earth in fiction
, Alternate History, The Man in the High Castle
, The Ultimate Solution
).
In effect, this sub-genre went full circle with the alternative history novel 1901 by Robert Conroy
, depicting a fictitious invasion of the United States by Kaiser Wilhelm
's Germany in the title year, bearing quite a bit of resemblance to Hancock's work.
Many of Hancock's books also appeared in the Street and Smith's "Bound to Win" series (see the following).
Note: many of the above books were reprinted by the Saafield Company, after the ([Correction] Howard E. AltemusHenry Altemus Company
failed. The Saafield editions are on high acid content paper, and few surviving copies are in good condition. The Alemus books are far superior in quality.
The Ogilive books are stated to have been part of a yearly subscription service, The Sunset Series (cost $9.00).
The Young Journalist; or, The Biggest News Beat on Record,
Hancock, Harrie Irving
Street & Smith Publishers, New York 1902, 1902, , FICTION, VICTORIAN PAPERBACK. FICTION, Paper back from the Street & Smith's Bound-to-Win Library (#21). Nice color illustration on front cover. 4 7/8 x 7 1/8. 221 pages plus ads at back. Covers yellowed and lightly soiled, spine creased with chipping to ends.
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
and juveniles
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and as having written a fictional depiction of a German invasion of the USA.
Biography
Hancock was born in MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
on January 16, 1868. His parents were William Henry and Laura (Oakes) Hancock. Hancock married Nellie Stein on December 21, 1887. They had two daughters, apparently adopted: Vivian Morris Hancock and Doris Hancock.
A prolific author who liked to work at night, Hancock wrote for the New York Journal, the New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
, and Leslie's Weekly. Much of his writing was the kind of "Boy's books" initiated by the famous Stratemeyer Syndicate
Stratemeyer Syndicate
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was the producer of a number of mystery series for children, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the various Tom Swift series, the Bobbsey Twins, the Rover Boys, and others.- History :...
, based on the assumption (which proved hugely successful) that "boys want the thrill of feeling 'grown-up'" and that they like books which give them that feeling to come in series where the same heroes appear again and again. However, the bulk of Hancock's works in that genre appear to have been handled by publishers other than Stratemeyer. (A comprehensive list of his publications does not yet exist, the list appearing on this page being far from complete).
For some time it was considered that, unlike other writers, he invariably used his own name, in the form "H. Irving Hancock". However, Edward T. LeBlanc and J. Randolph Cox, who researched the period's "dime novels", concluded that a series of books attributed to “Douglas Wells” were in fact written by Hancock.
The same researchers recount that Hancock ‘…had been a journalist for the Boston Globe from 1885 to 1890, served as a war correspondent in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. He produced more than 50 serials for Norman Munro
Norman Munro
Norman Leslie Munro was an American publisher.In 1873 Munro established the New York Family Story Paper, which gained a weekly circulation of 325,000. He also published Boys of New York, Our Boys, Munro's Library, and the American juvenile magazine Golden Hours in the late 19th century. One of his...
’s juvenile
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
magazine "Golden Hours
Golden Hours (magazine)
Golden Hours was an American juvenile magazine published by Norman Munro in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. H. Irving Hancock produced more than 50 serials for this magazine between 1889 and 1901....
" between 1889 and 1901.
His output included westerns, detective stories (set in New Orleans and in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
), and historical adventures. China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
were the setting of such stories as 'The Great Tan-To; or Dick Brent’s Adventures in Up-to-Date Japan'.” Hancock was, however, charged
with perpetuating racial stereotypes in his depiction of the Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
"Supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
" Li Shoon
Li Shoon
Li Shoon is a fictional villain of Chinese ethnicity created by H. Irving Hancock, first published in 1916.As common in the pulp fiction of the times, the depiction of Li Shoon had considerable racial stereotypes. He was described as being "tall and stout" and having "a round, moonlike yellow face"...
in a sereies of stories published between 1915 and 1917".
Hancock's experience as a war correspdent provided inspiration for books about the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. He also published books on Physical Fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
and an "Encyclopedia of Knowledge and Manners", and served as the editor of a "History of West Point". In a magazine article he warned of the dangers of smoking
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
, at a time when such dangers were not widely known. He was also apparently a sports writer and an early Western expert on Jiu-Jitsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
.
Much of Hancock's writing had a patriotic character, his books and stories having a considerable proportion of military heroes placed in settings ranging from the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, through the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and the First World War, and up to an imaginary German invaion of the USA (see following section).
In addition to his writing activity, Hancock organized the Ferguson-Hancock Laboratories together with Prof. George A.Ferguson in 1908.
Hancock died of liver ailments at his home, in Blue Point
Blue Point, New York
Blue Point is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 4,407 at the 2000 census. Blue Point is in the Town of Brookhaven...
, Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
on March 12, 1922.
Despite the enormous amount of material published by Hancock, some of his biographical details are not completely clear. The 1920 United States Federal Census contains the following: "H. Hancock, Birth: abt 1868 - Massachusetts Residence: 1920 - Brookhaven, Suffolk, New York". This seems to refer to Harrie Irving Hancock, but it is not completely certain - hence the above question mark following the date of his birth.
According to Gene Horton of Blue Point
Blue Point, New York
Blue Point is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 4,407 at the 2000 census. Blue Point is in the Town of Brookhaven...
, Hancock is buried in an unmarked grave at the Blue Point Cemetery.
One Hancock book still in print is "The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu", co-authored with Katsukuma Higashi and originally published by G. P. Putnam & Sons in 1905 in New York (presently republished by Dover Publications
Dover Publications
Dover Publications is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books in the public domain. The original published editions may be...
).
"The Invasion of the United States"
Hancock's four-book series "The Invasion of the United States", published in 1916, depicted a fictional invasion of the USA by GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1920-21 - reflecting, and to some degree helping to intensify, the shift of American public opinion towards getting involved in The First World War. It was an American representative of the sub-genre known as invasion literature
Invasion literature
Invasion literature was a historical literary genre most notable between 1871 and the First World War . The genre first became recognizable starting in Britain in 1871 with The Battle of Dorking, a fictional account of an invasion of England by Germany...
which originated in Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and was frequent in the early Twentieth Century. This kind of books were credited - by some politicians at the time and by historians and researchers later - with intensifying bellicose public attitudes in various countries and contributing to escalation and war.
The series may have been influenced by William Le Queux
William Le Queux
William Tufnell Le Queux was an Anglo-French journalist and writer. He was also a diplomat , a traveller , a flying buff who officiated at the first British air meeting at Doncaster in 1909, and a wireless pioneer who broadcast music from his own station long...
's The Great War in England in 1897
The Great War in England in 1897
The Great War in England in 1897 was written by William Le Queux and published in 1894.- Overview :Le Queux's work is an early example of Invasion literature genre, which began with The Battle of Dorking in 1871, where the British are soundly defeated by an invading German army...
(1894) in which the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
launch a surprise invasion of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and penetrate into the heart of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
but are finally defeated after much desperate and heroic fighting by the British protagonists. The book was highly popular in the early Twentieth Century, and Hancock is likely to have read it.
In Hancock's far more extensive version, constituting no less than four books, it is the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
who launch a surprise attack in 1920, capture Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
despite heroic resistance by "Uncle Sam's boys", overrun all of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and reach as far as Pittsburgh - but are at last are gloriously crushed by fresh American forces. From the present-day point of view, it can be considered as "retroactive" alternate history.
Hancok's plot has a basic implausibility in that it assumes either an overwhelming German victory over the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, giving them mastery of the seas, or a British "friendly neutrality" and a free hand to invade America. Further, it assumes the German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
to be capable of utterly defeating the US Navy, followed by ferrying no less than a million German troops across the Atlantic and keeping them supplied for years-long hard fighting. The experience of the first two years of the actual war, at the time of writing, already conclusively proved the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
manifestly incapable of anything remotely of the kind. In actuality it was US soldiers who - a year after the story's publication - would pour across a British-dominated Atlantic to assault Germany in Europe.
However, alternate history writer and analyst Dale Cozort
notes that "(...)The broad outline of the war [depicted] is so much like what actually happened between Germany and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
25 or so years later, in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, that it's almost uncanny. The Germans win battle after battle but the opposition moves industry out of their reach, builds up overwhelming superiority in manpower and strategic mobility, then cuts off the cream of the German army. Sounds a lot like Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
World War II up through Stalingrad". Cozort also notes that Hancock's is one of the first fictional depictions of war to make reference to tanks.
Hancock appears to have been among the first American writers to graphically describe their country being devastatingly invaded by powerful enemies - reflecting the disruption of the hitherto dominant American isolationist mindset. In later decades he was followed by a host of others depicting the US being fictionally invaded by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, Imperial Japan, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as well as a considerable array of extraterrestrial aliens
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
(see Invasion literature
Invasion literature
Invasion literature was a historical literary genre most notable between 1871 and the First World War . The genre first became recognizable starting in Britain in 1871 with The Battle of Dorking, a fictional account of an invasion of England by Germany...
, Yellow Peril
Yellow Peril
Yellow Peril was a colour metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with immigration of Chinese laborers to various Western countries, notably the United States, and later associated with the Japanese during the mid 20th century, due to Japanese military expansion.The term...
, Earth in fiction
Earth in fiction
An overwhelming majority of fiction is set on or features the Earth. However, authors of speculative fiction novels and writers and directors of science fiction film deal with Earth quite differently from authors of conventional fiction...
, Alternate History, The Man in the High Castle
The Man in the High Castle
The Man in the High Castle is a science fiction alternate history novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. It won a Hugo Award in 1963 and has since been translated into many languages....
, The Ultimate Solution
The Ultimate Solution
The Ultimate Solution is an 1973 alternate history by journalist and former Playboy interviewer Eric Norden, set in a world where the Axis forces won World War II and partitioned the world between them, and is noted for its particularly grim tone....
).
In effect, this sub-genre went full circle with the alternative history novel 1901 by Robert Conroy
Robert Conroy
-Writing career:*His first novel, 1901, deals with a German invasion of Long Island.*His second novel, 1862, is based on what might have happened had the United Kingdom entered into the American Civil War on the side of the Confederacy....
, depicting a fictitious invasion of the United States by Kaiser Wilhelm
Kaiser Wilhelm
Kaiser Wilhelm is a common reference to two German emperors:* Wilhelm I, German Emperor , King of Prussia; became the first Kaiser of a united Germany...
's Germany in the title year, bearing quite a bit of resemblance to Hancock's work.
Juvenile Series
- Motor Boat Club Series (list of books follows)
- The Grammar School Boys/Dick & Co. Series (list of books follows)
- The High School Boys Series
- The High School Boys' Vacation Series
- West Point Series (list of books follows)
- Annapolis Series (list of books follows)
- The Dave Darrin Series
- Young Engineer (or Young Engineers) Series
- The Invasion of the United States Series (list of books follows)
- Uncle Sam's Boys Series (list of books follows)
Many of Hancock's books also appeared in the Street and Smith's "Bound to Win" series (see the following).
In the Street and Smith's "Bound to Win" series
- 14) "His One Ambition; or, The Boy Reporter". 1892, 1903
- 38) "Captain of the Minute Men; or, The Concord Boys of 1775", 1890, 1903
- 69) "The Prince of Grit; or, A Sample American Boy", 1899, 1904
- 75) "The Three Hills of Gold; or, A Marvelous Legacy",1894, 1904
- 96) "The Young Diplomat; or, The Czar of Toddsland", 1894, 1904.
- 108) "Frank Bolton's Chase; or, A Long Hunt in the Dark", 1890, 1905.
- 119) "Compound Interest; or, The Boy and the Miser", 1895, 1905.
- 130) "The Boys' Revolt; or, Right Against Might", 1899, 1905.
- 137) "The Boy King-Maker; or, A Fearful Awakening", 1900, 1905.
- 142) "In the Path of Duty; or, The Adventure of a Young Policeman", 1900, 1905.
- 148) "Fighting the Cowards; or, Among the Moonshiners", 1904, 1905.
- 165) "On a Phantom Trail; or, A Clue from Nowhere", 1902, 1906.
The Motor Boat Club Series
- "The Motor Boat Club Of The Kennebec; or, The Secret of Smugglers' Island", 1909, Altemus.
- "The Motor Boat Club At Nantucket; or, The Mystery of the Dunstan Heir", 1909, Altemus.
- "The Motor Boat Club Off Long Island; or, A Daring Marine Game at Racing Speed" 1909, Altemus.
- "The Motor Boat Club And The Wireless; or, The Dot, Dash, and Dare Cruise", 1909, Altemus.
- "The Motor Boat Club In Florida; or, Laying the Ghost of Alligator Swamp", 1909, Altemus.
- "The Motor Boat Club At The Golden Gate; or, A Thrilling Capture in the Great Fog",1909, Altemus.
- "The Motor Boat Club On The Great Lakes; or, The 'Flying Dutchman' of the Big Fresh Water", 1912, Altemus.
The Grammar School Boys Series
- "The Grammar School Boys Of Gridley; or, Dick & Co. Start Things Moving", 1911, Altemus.
- "The Grammar School Boys Snowbound; or, Dick & Co. at Winter Sports" 1911, Altemus.
- "The Grammar School Boys In The Woods; or, Dick & Co.'s Trail Fun and Knowledge", 1911, Altemus.
- "The Grammar School Boys In Summer Athletics; or, Dick & Co., Make Their Fame Secure", 1911, Altemus.
Note: many of the above books were reprinted by the Saafield Company, after the ([Correction] Howard E. AltemusHenry Altemus Company
Henry Altemus Company
The Henry Altemus Company was a publishing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for almost a century, from 1842 to 1936. The firm started as a bookbindery. In 1863, Altemus was awarded a patent for a particular type of binding for photographic albums. These albums were huge sellers for...
failed. The Saafield editions are on high acid content paper, and few surviving copies are in good condition. The Alemus books are far superior in quality.
The Invasion of the United States Series
Note: the series, published in 1916, describes a fictional German invasion of the USA, dated in 1920-21.- 1) "The Invasion of the United States; or, Uncle Sam's Boys at the Capture of Boston", Altemus, 1916 (28898885, microfilm)
- 2) "In the Battle for New York; or, Uncle Sam's Boys in the Desperate Struggle for the Metropolis", Altemus, 1916 (28898910, microfilm)
- 3) "At the Defense of Pittsburgh; or, The Struggle to Save America's 'Fighting Steel' Supply", Altemus, 1916 (28898921, microfilm)
- 4) "Making the Last Stand for Old Glory; or, Uncle Sam's Boys in the Last Frantic Drive",Altemus, 1916 (28898929, microfilm)
Uncle Sam's Boys Series
- "Uncle Sam's Boys in the Ranks: or, Two Recruits in the United States Army"
- "Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty: or, Winning Corporal's Chevrons"
- "Uncle Sam's Boys as Sergeants: or, Handling Their First Real Commands"
- "Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines: or, Following the Flag Against the Moros"
- "Uncle Sam's Boys on their Mettle: or, a Chance to Win Officers' Commissions"
- "Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants: or, Serving Old Glory as Line Officers"
- "Uncle Sam's Boys with Pershing's Troops at the Front: or, Dick Prescott at Grips with the Boche"
- "Uncle Sam's Boys Smash the Germans: or, Helping the Allies Wind Up the Great World War"
Detective Books
- "Detective Johnson of New Orleans" (J. S. Ogilive 1891)
- “His Evil Eye” (J.S. Ogilive, 1891)
- “Inspector Henderson, The Central Office Detective,” (J.S. Ogilive Publishing Company – no date given, but refers to "His Evil Eye” - so after 1891)
- “Black-Mail, A Central Office Problem" (Smith and Street, 1899)
The Ogilive books are stated to have been part of a yearly subscription service, The Sunset Series (cost $9.00).
The Annapolis Series
- "Dave Darrin's First Year at Annapolis" 1910, Altemus
- "Dave Darrin's Second Year at Annapolis" 1911, Altemus
- "Dave Darrin's Third Year at Annapolis" 1911, Altemus
- "Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis" 1911, Altemus
The Dave Darrin Series
- "Dave Darrin at Vera Cruz" 1914, Altemus
- "Dave Darrin After the Mine Layers" 1919, Altemus
- "Dave Darrin's South American Cruise" 1919, Altemus
- "Dave Darrin on Mediterranean Service" 1919, Altemus
- "Dave Darrin on the Asiatic Station" 1919, Altemus
- "Dave Darrin and the German Submarines" 1919, Altemus
The West Point Series
- "Dick Prescott's First Year at West Point"
- "Dick Prescott's Second Year at West Point: Finding the Glory of the Soldier's Life"
- "Dick Prescott's Third Year at West Point: Standing Firm for Flag and Honor"
- "Dick Prescott's Fourth Year at West Point: Ready to Drop the Gray for Shoulder Straps"
Other Books
- Physical fitness books (for Business Men, for Women, for Children, etc.)
- "Jiu-Jitsu Combat Tricks: Japanese Feats of Attack & Defense in Personal Encounter"
- "The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu (Judo)" (1905), originally published by G. P. Putnam & Sons; still in print by DoverDover PublicationsDover Publications is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books in the public domain. The original published editions may be...
. - "Aguinaldo's Hostage"
- "What One Man Saw"
- "Life at West Point"
- "Chuggins: the Youngest Hero With the Army: a Tale of the Capture of Santiago" (in CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
). - "Bountyville Boys" (D. Appleton and Company 1907.
The Young Journalist; or, The Biggest News Beat on Record,
Hancock, Harrie Irving
Street & Smith Publishers, New York 1902, 1902, , FICTION, VICTORIAN PAPERBACK. FICTION, Paper back from the Street & Smith's Bound-to-Win Library (#21). Nice color illustration on front cover. 4 7/8 x 7 1/8. 221 pages plus ads at back. Covers yellowed and lightly soiled, spine creased with chipping to ends.
Partial list of magazine stories and articles
- "The Great Tan-To; or Dick Brent’s Adventures in Up-to-Date Japan".
- "Ku-Klux; The Three Strangers and the Georgia Moonshines" in Golden HoursGolden Hours (magazine)Golden Hours was an American juvenile magazine published by Norman Munro in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. H. Irving Hancock produced more than 50 serials for this magazine between 1889 and 1901....
, August 3, 1895. (Hancock is there mentioned as the "Author of 'The Meanest Boy on Earth,' 'Three Scamps,' 'Yank & Gap,' 'The Red Roy,' 'The Young Diplomat,' etc., etc.") - "Fighting in the Philippines; A Real American Boy's Share in Founding Our New Empire", in Golden HoursGolden Hours (magazine)Golden Hours was an American juvenile magazine published by Norman Munro in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. H. Irving Hancock produced more than 50 serials for this magazine between 1889 and 1901....
, October 7, 1899. (The story is introduced as having been "Written in Manila by our War Correspondent, Harrie Irving Hancock" and is mentioned as being "A Companion Story to 'Off with the Third'".) - A series of stories featuring Frank Manley appeared in Young Athlete's Weekly and Frank Manley's Weekly in 1905 and 1906.
- "Under the Ban of Li Shoon", Detective Story MagazineDetective Story MagazineDetective Story Magazine was an American magazine published by Street & Smith from October 15, 1915 to Summer, 1949 . The first pulp magazine devoted to detective fiction, it consisted of short stories and serials....
, Vol. 4, No. 3, cover date August 5, 1916. - "Li Shoon's Deadliest Mission", Detective Story MagazineDetective Story MagazineDetective Story Magazine was an American magazine published by Street & Smith from October 15, 1915 to Summer, 1949 . The first pulp magazine devoted to detective fiction, it consisted of short stories and serials....
, September 5, 1916 - Other Li Shoon stories were published in that magazine in 1917
- "Don'ts for U.S. Soldiers" (a guide for the U. S. Doughboys headed to France), 1917.